Pipe-wrench



(No Model.)

M..W. MOREHOUSE & N. S. KELLOGG.

PIPE WRENCH Patented July 2, 1889.

N. PETERS. PhuEo-Lflhvgrapher. Waihmglon, DJ;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MELVIN \V. MOREHOUSE AND NORMAN S. KELLOGG, OF BROOKLYN, NEWV YORK.

PIPE-WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 406,177, dated July 2, 1889.

Application filed September 20, 1888. Serial No. 285,941. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MELVIN IV. MORE- HOUSE and NORMAN S. KELLOGG, both of Brooklyn,in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Piperenches, of which the following is a specification.

\Ve will describe in detail a pipe-wrench embodying bur improvement, and 'then point out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a pipe-wrench embodying our improvement. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing certain of the parts in a different position from that in which they are shown in Fig.1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modification. Fig. 4 is a similar view illustrating another modification. Fig. 5 is a similar view illustrating still a11- other modification.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A designates a pipe. B designates a flexible metallic gripper. This gripper is secured near one of its ends to a head 0, forming part of the wrench, and its other end is free. In the example of our improvement shown this gripper consists of a metallic strip; but it may be made of chain or of any suitable construction which will form a flexible gripper having one end free and the other end secured to the head. It is advantageous that the gripper has a pivotal connection with the head. WVe have illustrated a convenient means for forming such pivotal connection, consisting in a piece of metal a, which piece of metal is provided with a longitudinal slot communicating with a trans'versely-extendin g aperture 12. An end of the gripper having been passed into the slot is curved around within the aperture 19, and when the metallic piece is to be secured to the head 0 a pin 0 is driven through suitably-formed apertures in flanges 0 upon the head 0 and through the aperture formed by the bent-around portion of the gripper within the aperture b, whereby the gripper is firmly secured in the metal piece a. In order to more effectively secure the gripper in the metallic piece a, rivets may be driven through the metallic piece and gripper, if desired. The pin 0 acts as a pivot upon which it and the gripper may swing. We prefer that the head O shall be recessed in order to accommodate the metallic piece a.

In the example of our improvement illus trated in- Figs. 1 and 3, we have shown a clamping device E, arranged in a passage 12 extending transversely through the head 0. This clamping device is flat upon one side and are shaped upon the other side. The arcshaped surface of the clamping device corresponds in contour to an arc-shaped surface upon the head 0, forming one of the walls of the passage,within which the clamping device is arranged. WVe have shown a means for retaining the clamping device within the passage, consisting of stops fiwhich stops are, as here shown, in the form of screws engaging tapped holes in the sides of the head 0, and extending into recesses f in the edges of the clamping device E. The recesses in the clamping device are considerably larger than the stops, so that a free play will be permitted the clamping device both toward and from the opposing are-shaped surface of the head and latterally through the passage in which it is arranged.

The free end of the gripper having been passed about a pipe is then passed through the passage in the head O between the clampin g device E and the opposing arc-shaped surface of the head, and is drawn so that the gripper will bind tightly upon the pipe. While that operation is being effected, the parts occupy the position shown more clearly in Fig. 2that is to say, the clamping device is free and a lever G, which is used to operate the wrench, and in this example of our improvement the clamping of the gripper, occupies a position at approximate right angles with the head 0. The lever G is fulcrumed in the head 0 to the rear of the clamping device E, and its short arm, or, that which is in the head, is provided with a cam-surface adjacent to the clamping device E. It will be readily seen thatby so operating the lever as to bring it into the position shown more clearly in Fig. 1, the cam-surface upon its inner end will be caused to bind upon the clamping device E, and to so move it as that it will clamp and secure the gripper between the clamping device and the adjacent curved surface of the head. It will be seen that the surface of the head, which is adjacent to the pipe, is in this example cam-shaped. hen the parts occupy the position shown more clearly in Fig. 1, by grasping the lever and moving itin the direction of the arrow shown in said figure said cam-surface binds upon the pipe, and the lever through the medium of the clamping device E exerts a pull upon the gripper, whereby close frictional contact is made between the gripper and the pipe, and the latter may be rotated. The greater the power exerted upon the lever the greater will be the grip exerted by the gripper upon the pipe and the tighter will the clamping device E be caused to clamp the gripper.

It is not essential that the clamping device E should have a curved surface, nor that the opposing surface upon the head should be curved, as they might obviously be straight; nor is it essential that the surface of thehead which contacts with the pipe should be camshaped, as any suitably-formed surface which would form a bearing which would not slip might be employed; neither do we deem it essential that the short arm of the lever G should be provided with a cam-surface arranged to bear upon the clamping device E, as a cam might be employed independent of the lever for accomplishing this purpose. o have illustrated such an arrangement in Fig. 5, in which instance the lever and the head 0 are made integral. A cam H is suitably pivoted in the passage 6 and is provided with a surface adapted, as here shown, to bear directly against the gripper B. The cam is pro vided with a rearward-extending arm 71 Between the arm h and the lever is arranged a coil-spring, the tendency of which is to force the arm h outwardly, and consequently to cause the cam to clamp the gripper. The greater the tension upon the gripper the tighter will it be clamped by the cam.

In Fig. 3 we have shown that a link-connection may be made between the lever Gr and the clamping device E. The link in this case constitutes a stop for preventing the clamping device from passing out from the passage D 111 Fig. 4 we have shown a roller or bowl Z, mounted upon the lever G and adapted to bear against the clamping device E. Ve have shown the adjacent surface of the clamping device in this example as inclined. Of

course the roller or how] might be mounted upon the clamping device, if desired. Pins 8 operate as stops to prevent the clamping doviee from passing out of the passage It will be observed that in all the examples of our improvement shown the flexible metallic gripper has one free end and is secured near its other end to the head of a wrench, and that a clamping device is employed for securing the free end of the gripper to the head of the wrench after the said free end has been passed about a pipe.

\Vhat we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a wrench-head, of allexible metallic gripper secured near one end to said head and having one of its ends free to be passed about a pipe, and a clamping device, substantially as described, for se curing the free end of the gripper .to the head after the same has been passed about the pipe, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a wrench-head, of a flexible metallic gripper having a pivotal connection near one of its ends with said head and having its other end free to be passed about a pipe, and a clamping device, substantially as described, for securing the free end of the gripper to thehead after the gripper has been passed about a pipe, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a wrench-head, of a flexible metallic gripper connected near one of its ends to said head and having its other end free to be passed about a pipe, and a clamping device, substantially as described, for securing the free end of the said gripper to the head after it has been passed about a pipe, and a lever fulcrumed upon said head and provided with a cam-surface adapted to bear against said clamping device, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with a wrenchhead provided with a canrsurface adapted to bear against a pipe, of a flexible metallic gripper secured near one of its ends to said head and having its other end free to be passed about a pipe, and a clamping device, substantially as described, for securing the free end of the gripper to the head after the same has been passed about a pipe, substantially as specitied.

MELVIN W. MOREHOUSE. NORMAN S. KELLOGG. Witnesses:

'FREDK. HAYNES,

ARTHUR TI. GAMBLIN. 

